Our Lips Are Sealed
by molotovsuicide
Summary: Lilly and Scotty are called to reopen the brutal 1989 murder of head cheerleader Dawn Rivers.
1. Chapter 1

**Our Lips Are Sealed**

**By starlitestarbrite2**

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything about Cold Case, that is owned by the studios that make it. I own this plotline and I don't believe I have read a story with the same plotline or seen any shows with the same plotline. Any similarities are purely coincidental.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Before I start, I'd just like to say that even though this story is set in 1989, the music comes from the 80's, so no nitpicking please. But it definitely is 80's music.

* * *

**Synopsis:**

Lilly and Scotty are called to re-open the brutal 1989 murder of a popular head cheerleader.

* * *

**Chapter 1:**

* * *

**8th November, 1989— 1am**

"Oh God." The girl rasped, crawling up the stairs on her hands and knees.

_Hey little sister, what have you done?_

She could feel the blood seeping from her mouth, flowing down in to great red-purple pools beneath her slim body. The pain was too much to bear, burning her skin like white hot knives.

She tried to ignore it, clawing at the muddy stairs and snapping her well manicured nails to the quick. Her golden blonde hair was matted, she could feel where parts of it had been ripped out. Still the rain beat down on her body, soaking her clothes and mixing with the blood, making it run all the more profusely.

Her vision blacked out momentarily.

_Hey little sister, who's the only one?  
Hey little sister, who's your superman?_

"Help!" she cried, her voice weak from the loss of blood and strength.

The footsteps were growing louder and more urgent now.

She couldn't turn around, she had to keep going. No-one else could save her now. She knew she was gone but something inside her wasn't going to let her give up.

"Brad!" she managed to scream.

Where the hell was he the one time she really needed him?

She managed to drag herself up another stair. She looked up at the church before her, the smiling statue of Jesus with the mud running down his face, she fooled herself into thinking He was crying for her.

She heard the footsteps stop and a dark shadow was cast on her body.

She turned around.

"Oh, God, please, don't kill me! I'm begging you!" she screamed.

Her head was forced back around to look at the Jesus statue once more.

"It's time for you to die, bitch."

She felt the cold barrel of the steel instrument on her back.

"I'm sorry!" she sobbed hysterically.

_Hey little sister, shot gun!_

* * *

**8th November, 1989 1:15am--**

"Hey, Dawn!" drawled Melody Timbs drunkenly. "I know you wanted to mess up the headstones again, and I'm sorry I'm late but—" She laughed awkwardly, thinking of the fun they were about to have.

There was a long silence. The rain still poured down now. All Melody could hear was the wind stroking the trees, and the beating down of the rain.

"Dawn?" she called again, uncertainly.

"Come on, Rivers, this isn't funny. It's too wet to be screwing around at the church all morning, you know it. I promise you next week, OK?" she said, trying to sound calm and trying to forget the growing panic rising in her chest.

She walked up the church stairs, before hitting something with her muddied pink high-heel.

She looked down, her eyes growing wide in horror.

Her best friend lay on the ground, the blood blossoming from her body, her face horribly disfigured and half-bald. Her eyes were wide open.

Melody opened her mouth and screamed.

_It's a nice day to start again  
It's a nice day for a white wedding  
It's a nice day to start again._

* * *

A new white box was built, filled with manila folders and evidence bags. It was placed along side the other white boxes just like it in the cold case room.

It was labeled just like the other white boxes in the room, but the name was different.

1989- Rivers, D.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** The song 'White Wedding' belongs to Billy Idol. I hope you liked the story so far. Please read and review.

;) starlitestarbrite2


	2. Chapter 2

**Our Lips Are Sealed**

**By starlitestarbrite2**

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything about Cold Case, that is owned by the studios that make it. I own this plotline and I don't believe I have read a story with the same plotline or seen any shows with the same plotline. Any similarities are purely coincidental.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Before I start, I'd just like to say that even though this story is set in 1989, the music comes from the 80's, so no nitpicking please. But it definitely is 80's music.

* * *

**Synopsis:**

Lilly and Scotty are called to re-open the brutal 1989 murder of a popular head cheerleader.

* * *

**Chapter 2:**

* * *

Detective Lilly Rush leaned back at her desk tiredly. Her blonde hair looked neater than usual that morning and Lilly took the time to marvel at how lack of sleep could do strange things as a person.

Nick Vera dropped a file on her desk.

"Annnd it's another cold one." He announced, as though this was a new thing.

Lilly sipped her latte, amused.

"Just how I like them." She quipped.

"Good morning, Rush, Vera." Said Detective Scotty Valens as he entered the office, his suit coat slung over his shoulder and a coffee in his hand.

"Valens, you're late." Smirked Lilly.

"I know, I'm sorry." Said Scotty, rolling his eyes. "So, what's the soup of the day?"

Lilly skimmed through the file.

"Dawn Rivers. 1989. Head cheerleader at Columbus High. Shot in the back 10 times after being tortured." Said Lilly.

Scotty was flipping through the manila file.

"Eurgh. Crime scene photo isn't pretty." He commented with a grimace.

Lilly inhaled sharply after glancing at it briefly.

"Why are we investigating it? Any leads?" she asked.

"Melody Timbs, her best friend – the one who found her – she's been harassed by a man over her murder." Explained Will Jeffries, entering the office and taking a seat.

"And she's innocent?" Lilly guessed.

"A lot of people find that hard to believe after the way she acted in high school." Said Vera, shrugging.

"A cheerleader too?" asked Valens.

Jeffries nodded.

"Not hard to see why they feel that way." Said Rush, smiling slightly. "Valens, let's go to Melody's house, look into these harassment claims."

Valens nodded. "I'll get the car."

* * *

Lilly was astounded at the sight of the house when she and Scotty arrived. A beautiful mansion sat behind a white picket fence and a beautifully manicured lawn. The house was like something out of a magazine.

She and Valens exchanged glances.

"Well off." Valens commented dryly.

"She's married to a plastic surgeon." Explained Lilly.

"Aren't they all?"

Lilly laughed. She and Valens walked towards the door. Lilly rang the doorbell.

"Hello?" asked a 33 year old Melody Timbs. The brown halter neck top and golden colour pants spelt money to Lilly.

Lilly saw her as the brunette cheerleader of 1989, brown hair curled in all the right places, soft blue eyeshadow and frosted pink lipstick. _All _cheerleaders in the 80's had frosted pink lipstick, Lilly remembered that distinctly.

"Detectives Lilly Rush and Scott Valens, homicide." Said Lilly, as she and Scotty showed her their badges.

Melody opened the door wider. "Come in."

Lilly looked around the lobby. There were photos of Melody with her husband and their three children.

"Nice house." She commented.

Melody smiled nervously.

She showed them to the lounge, where Lilly and Scotty sat down on a plush burgundy sofa.

"Ms. Timbs, you told our department that you're being harassed. Do you know the man who's been harassing you?" asked Scotty.

"Oh yeah," said Melody, remembering with a mixture of shame and distaste. "His name is Melvin Burgess."

* * *

**FLASHBACK**

* * *

**_September 25, 1989: Columbus High School Cafeteria._**

_"So, did you head about April Donovan?" asked Kirstin Jenkins, another cheerleader and friend of Dawn and Melody, smiling nastily._

_Dawn, sitting across from her, fluffed out her long blonde hair. "No! Spill!"_

_"Apparently," Kirstin began, leaning forward in her her seat. "Her mom got fired from that second-hand store she was working at and now they're going on welfare. I heard from Tiffany that April is buying dog food to feed their family!"_

_Dawn snickered, so did Melody. "What is the dog food going to improve her art ability or something?"_

_Melody snorted with laughter. "So, Dawn, has that freak been harassing you lately?" she asked._

_Dawn's blue eyes grew wide as she turned to talk about her favourite subject: herself._

_"Melvin Burgess? Oh my God, yes!" said Dawn, an utterly disgusted look on her face. "No matter how many times I've told him to stay the hell away, he keeps coming back for more."_

_"You'll never drink again, right?" laughed Kirstin._

_A shadow fell over the table._

_"Hi Dawn." Said a scruffy looking boy, materializing seemingly out of nowhere." He pushed his thick glasses up the bridge of his nose._

_"Melvin, what don't you understand about 'never going to happen'? Can you go off to whatever Star Trek convention you come from and stay there preferably, like, forever?" said Dawn cruelly, while her cronies smirked._

_Melvin looked as though he had been punched in the stomach. He dropped his head._

_"Come on, Melvin, let's go." Said a pretty redhead in overalls, carrying her plastic orange tray with her tall, skinny boyfriend beside her. They were trying to comfort Melvin, who they were obviously friends with._

_"What's wrong April? You don't have enough corners to work to feed your family?" Dawn snarled viciously._

_April dropped her eyes, feeling wounded. Her boyfriend stepped in._

_"Shut up, Dawn. Why would anyone want to take over your territory?" he asked. He put his arm around April and led her and Melvin away._

* * *

**END OF FLASHBACK**

* * *

"You and Dawn were quite the little charmers, weren't you?" said Lilly dryly.

Melody looked guilty.

"It was high school. I was a different person then. When you're a cheerleader, it's like you and your friends, who are also cheerleaders or jocks are in this airtight bubble- you rule the school. I've changed since then."

"You said that Dawn regretted drinking because of something to do with Melvin. What do you mean by that?" asked Scotty.

"One night, at a party we crashed- Melvin was there. Dawn got incredibly drunk and ended up giving Melvin a goodnight kiss. After that, Melvin was convinced they were meant to be. Dawn never wanted to have anything to do with him again." Said Melody.

"He was outside the bubble." Lilly put in.

"Exactly."

"And he's been harassing you, you say?" asked Scotty.

"I ran into him in the supermarket and he accused me, very loudly, of murdering my best friend!" said Melody, clearly upset.

"You see, if you ran into _him _by chance _once_, that does not count as harassment." Said Valens.

"What he said was harassment!" said Melody indignantly.

"He exercised his right to freedom of speech." Said Lilly, shaking her head.

"OK. Do you think he could have killed Dawn?" asked Scotty.

"Dawn was not the nicest person at Columbus. Many people could have killed her after the way she tortured them." Said Melody, shrugging slightly.

Scotty looked unconvinced.

"Look, my children were with me in the supermarket when Melvin accused me. I need you to prove to them and the rest of the people who knew Dawn that I am innocent." She said, pleadingly.

"We'll look into Melvin Burgess." Said Lilly, as she and Scotty stood up to leave. "We'll do everything we can."

Lilly and Scotty stood in the doorway.

"Please, you're my only hope." Said Melody.

"Goodbye, Ms. Timbs."

* * *

"What do you think?" said Lilly.

"Some desperate people do crazy things when they can't let go." Said Scotty, getting in the car.

"We'll get some lunch and call Vera to find out this guy's address. Then we'll find out where this guy lives." Said Lilly.

"Sounds great. Want Chinese?" asked Valens, turning the key in the ignition.

"Sounds great!" echoed Lilly.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** I know this chapter was short, I'm so sorry! I hope you guys are liking this story. Columbus High is just a place I made up.

Please read and review and I'll try and update soon.

;)starlitestarbrite2


	3. Chapter 3

**Our Lips Are Sealed**

**By starlitestarbrite2**

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything about Cold Case, that is owned by the studios that make it. I own this plotline and I don't believe I have read a story with the same plotline or seen any shows with the same plotline. Any similarities are purely coincidental.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Before I start, I'd just like to say that even though this story is set in 1989, the music comes from the 80's, so no nitpicking please. But it definitely is 80's music.

* * *

**Synopsis:**

Lilly and Scotty are called to re-open the brutal 1989 murder of a popular head cheerleader.

* * *

**Chapter 3:**

Scotty came back from the counter with 2 takeout boxes.

"So, Burgess, do you think he could have done it?" he asked Lilly, placing the boxes on the table.

"Scotty, he's harassing Melody. The poor guy's obviously still upset about it." Said Lilly, picking up her chopsticks and shoveling some rice into her mouth.

"That doesn't answer my question." Said Scotty in a teasing tone.

"No, I don't think he did it. I think he was too in love with Dawn. Kind of sad when you think about it." Said Lilly. Her eating was disrupted by the ringing of her cellphone.

"Rush." She said simply.

"Hey Lil, Jeffries and I are going to the parents house, we've just been researching the file." Said Vera.

"OK. We're headed to the school geek's house, a Mr. Melvin Burgess." Said Lilly.

"He's our harasser?" asked Vera.

"Yep. But not our guy." Said Lilly.

"OK, we'll be going now. See you back at HQ later." Said Jeffries.

Lilly flipped her phone shut. "They've gone to see the parents. We'll have to go now too, we don't want to be late back tonight."

"But I haven't finished lunch!" protested Scotty.

"We'll eat in the car." Lilly shrugged carelessly.

"But I'm driving."

"Oh, what do you know? Looks like I'll be the only one finishing lunch today then."

* * *

"Mr. and Mrs. Rivers. Detectives Nick Vera and Will Jeffries." Said Vera, as he and Will showed the couple their badges.

Mrs. Rivers looked worn, 20 years on her perfect honey blonde hair was more on the grey side and her blue eyes now looked grey and hollow. It was amazing what the loss of a loved one could do to you. She said nothing, letting her husband do the talking.

"Come in." said Mr. Rivers gravely, letting the two policemen in.

They sat at a couch. All over the walls were pictures of Dawn, the perfect blonde-haired blue-eyed All American Girl.

"Why are you reopening our daughter's case?" asked Mr. Rivers.

"Melody Timbs, Dawn's best friend. She's being harassed by someone who is accusing her of murdering Dawn." Explained Jeffries.

"Who?"

"Melvin Burgess."

"I've never heard of him." Said Mr. Rivers, frowning slightly.

"He was a student at Columbus. Infatuated with your daughter." Said Vera, trying to jog the father's memory.

"They were all infatuated with Dawn." Said Mrs. Rivers finally speaking up. She wore a sad smile. "And why not? She was beautiful."

"I couldn't tell you the amount of times I met boys who wanted to be with her, telling them they had to get her home on time." Said Mr. Rivers.

Jeffries smiled. "Do you know anyone who could have wanted to hurt Dawn?"

"Do you know how many times we've been asked that question?"

"How do you usually answer it?" asked Vera.

"No. Everyone loved our Dawn." Said Mrs. Rivers.

"If you remember anything, please contact us." Said Jeffries, handing Mr. Rivers a card.

Vera and Jeffries left.

"I strongly doubt everyone loved Dawn." Said Vera, getting into the car.

"Why do you say that?"

"Oh, come on, she was a cheerleader for crying out loud." Laughed Vera.

Jeffries smiled. "Way to be stereotypical."

"I bet you anything she was nasty as all hell." Said Vera. "Twenty dollars that's what Lilly says."

Jeffries shook his head. "I'm not a gambling man. If you prove me wrong I'll be disappointed."

"Why? Because I'll be right?" smirked Vera.

"No. Because sometimes there's just no good in people."

* * *

"Melvin Burgess? Rush and Valens, homicide." Announced Valens as he and Lilly were greeted by a 33 year old tall and thin man with sandy blonde hair. Lilly envisaged him as the 17 year old lanky teenager with unkempt hair and Chuck Taylors.

Melvin opened the door wide and gestured for them to come in, shutting the door behind them.

"I'm guessing this is about Dawn." He said, folding his arms across his chest.

"Yeah, that and you harassing Melody Timbs." Said Lilly, staring him down.

"What?" scoffed Melvin.

"She says you accused her of murdering Dawn in 1989 in the supermarket recently, in front of her children." Said Scotty, as he, Lilly and Melvin sat down on plastic chairs in the kitchen.

"Accusing her? Hell no. I was reminding her." Said Melvin coldly.

"You were in love with Dawn." Said Lilly.

"A part of me always will be." Admitted Melvin, staring into his cup of coffee.

"You obviously don't like Melody." Said Scotty. "What did she do?"

"Humiliated me. She humiliated everybody."

"Well, from what we hear, Dawn was the ringleader."

"No." said Melvin. "No, she wasn't. She was beautiful and smart and—"

"Out of your league?" interrupted Scotty.

"NO!" said Melvin, slamming his fist into the table. Lilly jumped. "I had her… once."

* * *

**FLASHBACK**

* * *

_Her hair is Harlow gold, her lips sweet surprise  
Her hands are never cold, she's got Better Davis eyes_

_Dawn walked outside into the balmy August air. She held onto the railing to steady herself. She wiped the tears from her eyes and looked at her reflection in her small handheld compact mirror. No mascara smudged, no evidence of her fight with Brad._

_She and Brad had been going out for 6 months now. And things had been perfect between them, when Brad was sober._

_Dawn touched the bruise on her wrist tenderly. She was as good as Brad now, as drunk as him and as low as him. Her vision was blurred, and she couldn't really think straight._

_She'll turn the music on you, you won't have to think twice  
She's pure as New York snow, she got Bette Davis eyes_

_"Whoo! Don't these keg parties rock?" asked Melody drunkenly, running up to her, her high heel shoes slung over her shoulder._

_Dawn tugged down the wristband of her fingerless lace glove. Back to the pantomime. Everyone thought that when Dawn was drunk, she was the wildest party animal that ever lived. No-one knew that she went home the nights she got wasted and cried herself to sleep._

_"Totally!" Dawn cried enthusiastically._

_"Oh, you know what, I don't feel so good." Said Melody. "Be right back, K?"_

_Dawn inhaled deeply. She heard someone on the deck. "Brad, I don't want to-"_

_It was Melvin Burgess, a guy from school. He looked really embarrassed. "Hi."_

_"Oh, hi, Melvin." Said Dawn. They'd spoken only a few times before and it was always awkward. If she weren't a cheerleader, she might've been friends with him._

_Melvin could feel himself going red. He'd had a massive crush on Dawn ever since elementary school. She was his princess with the golden hair, even if she didn't know it. He caught the glimpse of a welt underneath her glove._

_"What's that? Injure yourself at practice?" he asked. It was lame, but he knew he had to start somewhere._

_"Yeah. Pyramids, you know." Said Dawn laughing softly. Ordinarily she would be walking off and leaving him on his lonesome but tonight she just wanted to be with Melvin. And he was a kind of sweet guy._

_She looked inside the party, where Brad was wrestling with one of his friends. A pained expression took her face. Melvin followed her eyeline and realization hit him._

_"I'll kill him." He muttered angrily, starting towards the house._

_"No, don't." said Dawn pleadingly, tugging his jacket sleeve._

_"You deserve better." He said, looking into Dawn's eyes. He started towards the door again._

_"No!" said Dawn, a little louder this time. She looked up at him. "Just stay. Please stay."_

_She stepped towards him._

_And she'll tease you, she'll unease you  
All the better just to please you  
She's precocious, and she knows just  
What it takes to make a pro blush  
She got Greta Garbo's standoff sighs, she's got Bette Davis eyes_

_Melvin's breath grew slower as he became sucked in by those blue eyes. She was crying again, but she made no noise. The tears headed down towards her soft pink lips._

_She'll let you take her home, it works her appetite  
She'll lay you on the throne, she got Bette Davis eyes  
She'll take a tumble on you, roll you like you were dice  
Until you come out blue, she's got Bette Davis eyes_

_She'll expose you, when she snows you  
Hope you're pleased with the crumbs she throws you  
She's ferocious and she knows just  
What it takes to make a pro blush  
All the boys think she's a spy, she's got Bette Davis eyes_

_Everything seemed to freeze as Dawn kissed him. He reciprocated. They had something in common, they both knew how to be outsiders._

_And she'll tease you, she'll unease you  
All the better just to please you  
She's precocious, and she knows just  
What it takes to make a pro blush  
All the boys think she's a spy, she's got Bette Davis eyes..._

_"Dawn?" asked Melody, coming back outside again. She paper cup she dropped seem to fall in slow motion._

_Dawn and Melvin seemed to come to their senses. Dawn began to shake this time as she began sobbing more loudly._

_"I'm sorry. I can't do this. I have to go." She said._

_Dawn tore out of the house and ran away into the night, tears streaming down her face._

* * *

**END OF FLASHBACK**

* * *

"What happened after that?" asked Lilly gently.

"Nothing changed. She wouldn't talk to me, and if she did, it wasn't good. I knew it was just to cover though. Dawn was too proud to admit her real feelings. She wasn't that strong. She stayed with Brad, he hit her when he was drunk, I couldn't do anything to stop it." Said Melvin.

"What makes you think Melody did it?"

"She was less than supportive of anything Dawn did. She made it clear to Dawn that she had to stay with Brad. She hated Dawn to bits. I think she just got sick of Dawn having all the limelight. And she killed her."

"Generally with accusations you have carbon proof."

"I hated Melody Timbs. She was a bitch. Come on, can you blame me? But I'd had a bad day. I just lashed out." Said Melvin, looking guilty.

"You'd better watch that temper of yours, as well as that mouth. Or you're going to get charged with defamation. Do yourself a favour, OK? Don't go near Melody Timbs." Said Scotty.

"Thank you for your time, Mr. Burgess." Said Lilly.

She and Scotty left.

"Well, what do you think now, Scotty?"

"There is no way in hell that guy killed her."

* * *

**Author's Notes:** I hope that chapter was a little longer. I realize this (song lyrics) goes against policy, but I'm only doing this to make it more like Cold Case. I hope no-one minds. That song, btw, was by Kim Carnes.

PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! I'M BEGGING YOU!

;)starlitestarbrite2


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